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1) You don't need to have many friends in your life, but you DO need friends who understand you. To Taiga, Minori was that close friend initially, followed by Ryuji (later love interest). Kitamura and Ami added flavour and spice (Baka Chi, anyone?)

2) True love needs to be nurtured and nourished. It may be love at first sight, but if you don't put work into maintaining the relationship, don't expect it to last long.

If you can't figure that out, then all the time you spent watching the story basically amounts to a string of random disjointed events featuring a cast of enjoyable characters that (presumably) left you with warm feelings at the end... but that's it. You took it all in, but learned nothing from it other than "well, that was a nice show". And if that's really all stories are to you... well, then I guess there's nothing to say in this topic after all!

Though I've already posted here, I'm gonna be honest; I feel like that about plenty of shows. I'm not trying to undermine your thread, but what intrigues me most isn't some message; it's the unknown; the unexpected; trying to figure out what's going to happen next. Those are the things that intrigue me. I don't know if people remember, but I posted way more near the beginning of the show opposed to the end. That's because there were many unknown elements in play, like Ami having subtle motives, or how Minorin's personality was behind the cheerful facade, just to name a few. There ARE times when a show's theme or message is so strong, I become deeply entranced by it, never to forget it again, but this show isn't one of them. It doesn't make it a bad show by any means, but I doubt I'll remember it by any of the messages it was trying to convey.

I guess relentlessflame is looking for discussions about the theme(s) of ToraDora! Because, when looking for morals, I remember this blog. With the money quote:

Quote:

Trust in people, be responsible, delay your gratification, look past what is apparent, be true to oneself, be free to love, treasure your friends, cherish the family you’ve got… I can take all of these away from watching Toradora! and wholly without irony. Instead of being clobbered on the head with these ‘life lessons’ I feel invited to consider them. My enjoyment of the show isn’t contingent to these, but they do add value. I seldom if ever watch a show for its ‘message.’ But I’ll gladly take away a message I discover or create out of my experience of a show.

Isn’t this the thinking behind ‘family oriented’ programming? The acquisition of life lessons through the experience of media — ideally collectively as a family? I’m very happy I watched this show with sybilant. I think I’m going to recommend this show to my mom.

I personally mean it differs from person to person.
In Toradora I think it's something like, both of them were looking for love in the wrong person (Taiga in Kitamaru, and Ryuuji in Minori), and the riddle unwrapped at the end when they "found" love in eachother. It's really as simple as that in my opinion.

Here's a rather obscure one tbh I agree with the love thing it fits it well but

it could refer to taiga herself since nobody really know taiga she never opened up her true self to anyone but ryuuji. Her hmm how to put it "inner" self is actually very kind and sweet and indeed ryuuji who really did deserve it let's be honest he took care of her all that time and he did indeed "find" taiga both metaphorically and literally

I've watched the anime and just finished the final novel tonight. I think waaaay too much about the shows I watch, so here is my interpretation. I believe 'It' is You, your true self underneath the masks and deceptions you use to protect yourself. Every character in the show kept up a facade (either to the world, or to themselves) to protect themselves. Ami and Minori were the most obvious, but even Taiga, Ryuuji, and Kitamura hid their feelings and kept up their guards. They lied to others and themselves for protection. So they wouldn't be hurt, and so they wouldn't hurt others

The only person who can see who you really are, is the person who is meant to see you. The one who will accept you, and stand by you. Your friend, or your lover, or your family. Those who don't love the facade you put up, they love the person under it. The themes of the show to me have always been friendship, love, and family; and I feel that the connecting thread between all of those themes is learning to just be you and to let go of the lies and facades you use to protect yourself.

There's something in this world that no one has ever seen.
It's something kind and very sweet.
If people could see it, they would probably want it.
That's why the world hid it;
So that it wouldn't be so easy to find.
But someday, someone will definitely find it.
The one who is supposed to find it, will be the one to find it.
That's just how it is.

When I heard this poem during the first minute or so of the anime, it was clear to me what the series would be about, but I continued to watch it because each episode brought something interesting.

Oddly enough, I did not think it was a riddle, but just a statement of how the world worked. But, I'd seen a lot of the world by the time I viewed Toradora. XD

To me, "it" is one of those little things we find out for ourselves as we move through life. It isn't something we learn from teachers or book, but from life itself. Once we find these "it"s we become stronger and better and we find that life is a little less mysterious.

Each character in Toradora has amazing strengths and surprising weaknesses.

Spoiler for Strengths and weaknesses:

Ryuuji manages the house and is very self-sufficient, but has made no plans for the future. Taiga is physically strong and extremely loyal to her friends, but has had little or no family life, can't take care of her house, and also has no vision of the future. Minori is very athletic and highly perceptive, but conflicted by her close friendship with both Taiga and Ryuuji and seems to be using constant activity to avoid thinking about something. Yuusaku is a very good student and friend, but is infatuated with Sumire and that infatuation has clouded his judgement. Ami is a successful model, but has developed a very manipulative personality.

Each character figures out some things and moves more strongly ahead during the series. Figuring these out is a riddle for everyone.

It was refreshing to me to see an anime portray this kind of thing so openly and frankly.

Of course, there was the big "it."

Spoiler for The big it:

When an anime dwells on two people while someone recites a poem as in Toradora, the message is that the main theme will concern those people. Frankly, though, at times I though the plot might surprise me and, in a way it did. Of course, Ryuuji and Taiga found lifetime partners in each other, but more than that, they found that they were stronger than they thought and they found the maturity to make the right decisions for their future. But, to some degree, everyone in Toradora became stronger by finding their own "it."

Toradora is remarkable in that it contains no robots, space aliens, or superheroes. It, and the poem, talk about things every one of us have or will experience at some time.